The present invention relates to a haymaking machine for the tedding and/or windrowing of fodder, comprising especially a support beam extending transversely of the direction of travel of the machine and at least four rake wheels equipped with working tools and driven in rotation so as to rotate by pairs in opposite directions, especially with the purpose of forming two windrows in one single passage.
In a known machine, each central rake wheel is connected to one and the same reversing gear unit by means of a support arm made in two parts fitted one into the other, of which one is fast with the said gear unit and the other is fast with the said central rake wheels. In order to transpose the machine from a first working position into a second working position, the central rake wheels must be withdrawn from the parts of the support arms fast with the gear unit and then refitted one in place of the other. This operation is delicate and irksome for the user, especially by reason of the weight of the rake wheels. Furthermore it represents a significant loss of time for each transposition.
In another known machine the rake wheels situated on the same side of the central plane of the machine are interconnected by means of a support arm which is articulated on the transverse support beam of the machine. In order to transpose the machine from a first working position into a second working position, it is necessary on the one hand to pivot the mutually interconnected rake wheels through a certain angle in relation to the transverse support beam, about the articulation axis of their support arm, and on the other to reverse the direction of rotation of the central rake wheels. Thus this arrangement necessitates the utilisation of reversing gear units in order to be able to change the direction of rotation of the said central rake wheels. Furthermore in this machine the positions of the working tools of the central rake wheels must be modified individually so that they are subjected to constraints directed towards the same direction in the two working positions, which represents a lengthy and tedious task for the user.
In a final known machine the central rake wheels are interconnected by means of a support arm which is articulated at its centre on the chassis of the machine. In order to transpose the machine from a first working position into a second working position, the central rake wheels are pivoted together through 180.degree. about the articulation axis of their support arm. Then the outer rake wheels are pivoted forward--seen in the direction of travel of the machine--about pivot spindles disposed on the transverse support beam. This arrangement does not permit of modification of the inter-axial distance between the mutually interconnected central rake wheels, on the occasion of changes of working position. Now it is desirable that this interaxial distance should be capable of being modified during the transpositions from one working position into the other working position, since in the first position, in which the machine can ted the fodder and/or form two windrows in one single passage, it is preferable to have a small interaxial distance between the central rake wheels in order that there may be no unworked zone causing especially a loss of fodder, and in the second working position, in which the machine can form a central windrow, it is preferable to have a great interaxial distance between the said central rake wheels in order to favour the formation of a windrow of large volume. Moreover each transposition of this machine from one working position into the other working position necessitates numerous manipulations including the uncoupling of the cardan shaft which effects the rotation drive of the take wheels from the power take-off of the driving tractor.
The purpose of the present invention consists in obtaining a haymaking machine of the kind described in the introduction which does not possess the above-mentioned drawbacks of the known machines.